Ward IV Candidate Jason McCoy stands with supporters in front of the government center Tuesday to officially announce his candidacy for public office. McCoy will challenge incumbent Roger Marietta for the seat.

ALBANY  ALBANY, Ga. — A last-minute challenger to Ward IV Commissioner Roger Marietta has emerged, saying he believes he has good ideas for the residents of the ward.

Press Release from McCoy Campaign

JASON McCOY

Enters Ward 4 Commissioner Race

(Albany, GA) Voters in Ward 4 will see another name on the ballot for City Commissioner as Jason McCoy declares his candidacy to run for office. McCoy is scheduled to announce his entry into the Ward 4 Commissioner’s race on Tuesday, August 30, 2011 at 11:30 am at the City Elections office located on 222 Pine Street.

A life-long resident of Albany, Jason McCoy’s father is a former U.S. Marine that ultimately remained here after his retirement. A graduate of Albany High School, McCoy also holds degrees in History and Accounting from Darton and Albany Technical. McCoy is currently employed by Vansant and Corriere, LLC, as a property manager and bookkeeper. He and his wife of eleven years, Tami, live in Ward 4 with their pet dachshund Daphne.

This is McCoy’s first campaign for elected office. He decided to enter the Ward 4 race so as to ensure that the concerns of his neighbors were voiced and represented at city commission meetings. McCoy believes in community responsibility, action, and involvement. The key is to involve the people. McCoy wants to hold monthly town hall meetings with the residents of Ward 4, expand the current Neighborhood Watch Programs, start a curbside recycling program, and develop the green spaces in Ward 4 to be more pet friendly.

McCoy posted on facebook, “Albany is my hometown. It has problems and it has promise. With the right leadership, Albany will have greater promise.”

“Crime is an ever present concern. It takes a partnership between the police & the community. Neighborhood watches will enjoy the same support they do now and I look forward to meeting with your groups individually.”

“I also look forward to meeting the rest of Ward four.”

“Friend me on Facebook or email me at jmc4alb.gmail.com and lets partner up to put the Good Life back in our city.”

With less than four days days left during the qualifying period for municipal elections, Jason McCoy, a property manager and bookkeeper for a local law firm, has announced plans to run against Marietta, who is seeking re-election to his second term as a city commissioner.

McCoy was one of four local people to qualify to be on the November ballot for various races Tuesday.

According to a press release distributed to the media, "He decided to enter the Ward 4 race so as to ensure that the concerns of his neighbors were voiced and represented at city commission meetings. McCoy believes in community responsibility, action, and involvement. The key is to involve the people. McCoy wants to hold monthly town hall meetings with the residents of Ward 4, expand the current Neighborhood Watch Programs, start a curbside recycling program, and develop the green spaces in Ward 4 to be more pet friendly."

“Albany is my hometown. It has problems and it has promise. With the right leadership, Albany will have greater promise,” he said, via a post on Facebook. “Crime is an ever present concern. It takes a partnership between the police & the community. Neighborhood watches will enjoy the same support they do now and I look forward to meeting with your groups individually.”

At a press conference Tuesday, McCoy said that he believes he has good ideas for the people of the ward, including monthly meetings and the start of a curbside recycling program.

"I've always been a big advocate of Keep Albany-Dougherty Beautiful and I think it would be a good idea to start a curbside recycling program. It's pretty standard in communities all over and I think it would be something good."

McCoy recently lashed out at Marietta for his lack of action after Ward VI Commissioner Tommie Postell quipped that all white people looked the same during a recent commission meeting when Marietta was presiding as Mayor Pro-Tem.

"It was the height of an unacceptable double standard by a man long enough in the tooth to know better. The fact such hurtful words were spoken by a veteran representative, illustrates the struggle for equality is far from over. This town has been divided bitterly for generations and our commission has chosen not rise above the fray. To condone such an ignominious statement, the mayor & commission stands in support of Mr. Postell’s racist sentiment. It embarks every resident on a self-fulfilling prophecy of hate & destruction by selectively choosing who can and cannot behave in a manner that is universally wrong," McCoy wrote Marietta.

"As a lifelong Albany resident I admit, some people do side with Mr. Postell. As such, they are not suitable for public office. Yet, the majority of Albanians I know live happily in a post-racial society. Unfortunately, few are running. Wanting my commissioner’s input, I asked him if it were possible to censure Mr. Postell expecting him to be equally offended. I was shocked. He baulked at the idea and asked me to be the better man by letting this pass. If the better man is a bigot by association, you ask too much. That’s a mantle I am unwilling to carry for their sakes," he wrote. "When representative government fails so greatly, it is up to the individual to take a stand. Power is temporarily entrusted to our officials and not to be taken for granted. It is something loaned by the authority of the electorate to speak on their behalf. Mr. Postell did not speak for me that day. He did quite the opposite. The double standard would have him resign, but a public apology is my best compromise."

Those comments were written to Marietta following an e-mail from the commissioner in which he explained that Postell's remarks could be chalked up to a failed attempt at humor and to the ramblings of an aging man in ill-health.

"We all agree that his attempt at humor was not funny and was shocking and inappropriate. As I said to Jason over the phone, he has said crazier things that have gone un-reported. I sat down with Commissioner Postell yesterday and he was very humble and asked for my forgiveness which I granted," Marietta wrote. "I hope you will join me in offering Postell forgiveness - I think that may be the best course for the citizens of Albany. Let's set the example by offering Tommie Postell forgiveness without condition. That would prove a lot to the citizens of Albany and show that race relations are improving here."

Mr. McCoy, I don't live in your ward but I agree with you when you say that there are a lot of good people living in Albany but they don't run for office. I sincerely hope that your decision to run for office is a step in the right direction.

Mr. McCoy where have you been for the last three and half years? This paper put some of the most despicable pictures and cartoons of President Obama for all to see and I guess laugh. I guess you have never been east of the river or south of Oglethorpe. If you had you will see some the most shocking and inappropriate and bigoted action by your previous and some now leaders. Most of us would like to think we live in a post-racial society but that’s just to ease our conscience. You remind me of a person who steps on everyone’s toes then tells them to move but cries when someone step on yours. It is my prayer that you will not succeed, because we could not find a better person to lead than Roger Marietta.

Marietta is a disgrace. From the ADICA fraud to the Mediacom scam, Roger Marietta has consistently flip-flopped from one side to another to the taxpayer's detriment. But for the media attention focused on ADICA and the Mediacom scam, Marietta would have stuck with his original position which torpedoed the taxpayer.

On top of all this, Marietta consistently supports anti-business crank, Judy Bowles and her job-killing ordinances.

Ok I have to defend Roger and ask how many of you people running off at the mouth here have ever been to at least one Commission meeting. If you have not been to one meeting then you are only regurgitating what you have heard others say and you have NO firsthand knowledge of what you are spouting off about. Get off your sofa and take yourself to the commission meetings, they are ALL public and you are Always invited.

"Marietta consistently supports anti-business crank, Judy Bowles and her job-killing ordinances". You are right he does but why? She takes a stand and all the rest of you sitting on your sofas do nothing but complain because Ms. Bowles got her way and had no one to speak up against her job-killing ideas. O and please take note Mr. McCoy is one of her “Green” cronies. Guess who will be leading the way for Ms. Bowles if McCoy gets in office.

McCoy says “Yet, the majority of Albanians I know live happily in a post-racial society”. Really? Where the heck is that part of Albany? I CANNOT defend whether or not Postell is Racist but I do believe in his heart at that moment he was not trying to be a racist but only a comedian. As a comedian I do say he made a poor choice of a joke and for that I give him a “F”. But I do have to ask WHY can’t the rest of Albany just be better people by letting this pass? Why does Race have to always be fuel for every fire in Albany? This is by far NOT the worst thing for Postell to do or say, but to use your poor little hurt feeling for a reason to run against Roger is just plain childish. If you do not like Postell then find and support someone to run against Postell. Big question lets just say McCoy were to get elected how is he going to sit at a commission meeting across the table from Postell when race relations was a reason for McCoy to run against Roger.

McCoy says “I've always been a big advocate of Keep Albany-Dougherty Beautiful and I think it would be a good idea to start a curbside recycling program”. And just who is going to pay for this “Green” idea? Hmm sounds like another Judy Bowles project that is going to bite Albany Tax Payers.

I say “Sit in the dark and bark and be ignored as a bunch of yappers or get off that sofa and go to Commission meetings and speak up and make a difference in Albany”

I ve been to meetings,nothing really good came out of them.Except when they had a closed door meeting.Then we out left that could not be there and wondered who they talked about the most."But I do have to ask WHY can’t the rest of Albany just be better people by letting this pass? Why does Race have to always be fuel for every fire in Albany?" well if you had it beat in your head enough that you cant talk about black people without getting killled,or beat uo,just if a white person makes a joke.Hey it works both ways.
My feeling with all that was he was wrong to say that,and he knew what he was saying.So let the voters decide which way to take it.And i have a answer for why does race always come up in Albany? Our Leaders would rather us all not get along,that way they know what votes they will get.Plus that gives them all more reason for closed door meetings.

Kaos..... Thanks but ROFLMAO no I am not Marietta! In the past I have ripped on Marietta also. And before you ask I am NOT JD’s alter-ego either. I am just a tax payer that gets tired of the BS ways my money gets wasted in this Town but what really gets my goat is the whiners in this city that won't get up off their A**es and go to the Commission meetings and yet they feel empowered to complain.
Kaos I must give you two thumbs up. You hit the nail square on the head with your post under "Taylor: Race, Apathy Are Challenges To Progress"
I hope to see more informed people posting on this site. Albany will never grow without informed Citizens.
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@Abytaxpayer - Thank you. Perhaps we know each other if you were at the commission meeting that night. I am totally with you on the issue of the city wasting our tax money. I would like to see the city do something about all these non-profit organizations buying up all the property in town and don't pay a dime in taxes. Why are we the ones that have to foot the bill for everything and then get threatened by politicians at election time over voting for another tax (SPLOST issue)? Glad to see another poster that is involved. Kudos to you!! ; )

Funny no one can say Marietta's name without adding Mediacom to it. Marietta wasn't alone in voting for that so called scam. Do you really think curbside recycling will work? Only 2 things will happen, either recycled products will be littering up the neighborhood by vandals or the goods will be stolen, it will just be a big mess added to the littering that is already going on. This McCoy sounds like a bigoted racist to me. I don't trust him.

It's funny that Marietta had all of the reports and numbers on the Mediacom scam and voted for it until it hit the papers and became a scandal. Then he opposed it. What changed other than the voters becoming aware he was robbing them?

I have never thought of posting on a news article until I read this. After reading all these comments the first thing that came to mind was "does McCoy have that much time on his hands?" I mean really, how many accounts can one man have?

That said, I've known Roger for years. This is a man who puts a lot of hard work into what he does, because he believes in public service. What is he getting out of being commissioner? A big fat paycheck? Does this man live high on the hog? Come on folks...As a fellow Navy man, I respect Roger for continuing to work for the public, even after his career in the service ended.

But one last point. I think it is really easy for all these people, McCoy especially, to sit back and play Monday morning QB. Without being in those commissioner chairs, without being the one fielding all those calls, without being the one who has people knocking on their door to address concerns, I don't think we can judge the thought process someone had in making a decision. It's one thing to disagree on the final decision, but come on folks, I have no idea what was going on and why he and others make the decisions they do.

And McCoy, come one. Didn't you say that Marietta has done a good job as commissioner? If he's done a good job, then why are you running against him? Really doesn't make much sense to me.

Marietta is the best commissioner we got - ya'all that bitch about him all live in Lee County - you re just jealous because he has the lowest crime rate, the best watch organizations, and has the guts to admit when he makes a mistake. McCoy even admitted on WFXL TV that "Roger does a good job representing his constituents". Marietta has nothing to do with Postell's mouth - it is the most rediculus reason for running yet. He is helping Postell by making him into a martyr. haha

McCoy is not running against Postel and I still say McCoy sounds like a racist. Why doesn't McCoy move into Postell's district and run against him? Oh! Too many black people in that district. richie is right, most those that support McCoy are those people in Lee Co. that think they are better than everybody else.

I can't believe I wasted my time reading this article about some McCook-coo. He must live in a bubble. Lemme throw out some helpful political advice - people like him have to run for office - they feel compelled even though you and I know they are not the sharpest tool in the shed - they are oblivious. No doubt, he will blame his loss on not enough money or not enough volunteers, but he should know that those are a sign of a weak candidate.

But seriously, tips for all those compelled politico junkies thinking they can run for office - please come up with a better reason for running that guy A said _ and guy B didn't do what I whined to him about.

I have been in Roger Marietta class at school and found him to be a very knowledgable person. As a politician you have to be able to please people in all walks of life. Be careful of what you say or you will get blowback from it. Mr. McDonald I do not know, but why in the world do you want to take on this alligator? (The fellow commisioners, not Roger) I know it is gator season, but why jump in that boat?